Gemma Atkinson says she was 'too slim' in praised picture

Gemma Atkinson has set body-shamers straight after they praised a photo of her looking much slimmer.

The Emmerdale actress posted a message on Instagram saying the shot was taken during "an absolutely horrendous time" in her life, when she was so anxious she couldn't eat.

She told her fans she is much happier now and her curvier body reflects it.

Gemma said: "This shot was when I filmed Command & Conquer 7yrs ago. So many people comment on this & msg me saying how much thinner I was then & how much better I looked. The truth is, YES. I was a lot slimmer then. (Too slim for my height in my opinion).

"But what no one knew apart from my family, close friends & my agent was that I was going through an absolutely horrendous time. I was coming out of a relationship & reading / hearing so many stories about myself all of which were false. I was ill with worry & on edge 24/7 for weeks. It was awful. I couldn't eat."

The 31-year-old went on: "If feeling like that is what it takes for me to be "super slim" then show me the cake!!!

"It makes me feel sad now even thinking about how I felt back then. I'm so happy that now although I'm heavier & bigger & stronger, I'm mentally in a good place. I'm worry free, stress free & able to enjoy my food and sleep easy."